The absence of Justice Yusuf Halilu of an Abuja High Court, Maitama, on Monday, stalled the trials of Senator Dino Melaye and an alleged husband killer, Maryam Sanda, who allegedly killed her husband on Monday.
The judge was absent due to his official engagement on election tribunal duty in Ogun State.
The senator representing Kogi West in the Senate was on January 22 arraigned by the Inspector-General on Police before Halilu.
He was arraigned on an eight-count bordering on alleged conspiracy, resistance to arrest, failure to honour police invitation and intentionally giving false information to the public.
The police had alleged that the senator conspired with one Silas Omenka on December 28, 2018, to commit an offence of illegal obstruction to a lawful arrest, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code.
Melaye was said to have intentionally resisted lawful arrest, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 172 of the Penal Code.
He was also alleged to have intentionally tweeted, with the intention of inciting the public against the police.
The Police alleged that Melaye tweeted that the Inspector-General of Police planned to arrest and inject him to death, which was false. This the police said was an offence punishable under Section 416 of the Penal Code.
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The senator, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the police.
Halilu on April 4, ruling on a no-case submission filed by Sanda and her co-defendants: discharged Maryam’s mother, Maimuna Aliyu; brother, Aliyu Sanda and housemaid, Sadiya Aminu.
They were charged with concealment of evidence by cleaning the blood of the late Bilyaminu from the scene of the crime.
Halilu further ruled that Maryam Sanda, who was charged with culpable homicide punishable with death for allegedly killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, had a case to answer and as such should enter her defence.
The deceased husband, who Maryam was alleged to have stabbed to death with a knife in their resident.
The court in Sanda’s case rescheduled trial until June 11, while Melaye’s case was fixed for June 17.
NAN
